Strength training by athletes to increase muscular and cardiovascular performance has been practiced for millennia. In the sub-field of weight training, a great number of specialized weights have been developed, including both freely moving (“free weights”) and machine-fastened and administered weights (weight “machines”). With each of those, and in other strength training areas, force is applied against the force of contraction, or attempted contraction, of muscles, resulting in a training response by the body to maintain or increase muscle strength and/or endurance as an adaptation response.
Free weights have historically included one-piece weights, such as fixed dumbbells and kettle-bells, and adjustable weight sets, such as plate-loading barbells. With plate-loading barbells, typically, weights with a loading aperture (a.k.a., “plates”) are threaded onto weight-loading ends of a generally rod-shaped barbell (a.k.a., “the bar”), and are held in place on the bar with the aid of weight “clips” or “collars.” Many machines also incorporate plate-loading bars, which may benefit from the stability and safety of fixing the weights in place with such clips or collars. Generally, plate-loading bars are used in most advanced strength training programs because the ability to vary the weight loaded in a wide variety of increments on a variety of bars affords the most custom-fitted workout options with the least amount of gear, and storage space.
Plate-fastening weight clips have been developed in a variety of forms, as shown in related art FIGS. 9-12, and typically require several steps to deploy, such as, but not limited to: 1) loosen each clip; 2) slide each clip over a bar; 3) fasten each clip in place after sliding; 4) test the clip/weight for lateral play and security against lateral force; 5) adjust the tightness and lateral play of each clip, if necessary; and 6-8) reverse steps 1-3 to unload. As shown in FIG. 9, some clips include threading, such as inner lining threading 901 of clip 905, and work in conjunction with the complementary threading of the bar, for example, the examples of threading shown as 903, to tighten against a loaded plate and secure it in place on a bar. While, in the inventor's experience, the security of this type of clip may be relatively good, if correctly deployed, the inventor also finds that the loading times for changing out weight plates can be onerous in comparison to other clip types. Pin-pressure style weight clips, such as that illustrated in FIG. 10, also use threading, such as that shown as threading 1003, to fasten a collar, such as 1001, to a bar (not pictured) using complementary hole 1005 to drive a pin 1007 toward the center of the bar-holding port 1009 (and, therefore, against the bar, when inserted into a loading aperture of the collar). In the inventor's experience, time delay with that approach also may be great, and he also finds that the holding force of the pins can be weaker and subject to failure or tightening errors due to their relatively small contact area with the bar, in conjunction with non-tightness oriented resistance from a variety of sources, some of which are related to subtle rotational shifts in the collar on the bar. In other words, the inventor has discovered that these weight clips often feel tightened onto the bar when, in fact, they are still loose and poorly seated, and that they require lateral force toleration tests during use to ensure proper seating. The inventor has discovered that other clips, such as the handled spring coil weight clip (an example of which is given as FIG. 11), and the arm-actuated clamping weight clip (provided as FIG. 12), can be faster to attach, but still require the step of sliding a collar onto a bar, after sliding a plate weight on, and have limited fastening power and are more prone to loosen and break, especially from repeated use. These approaches each include actuating handle(s), 1101 and 1201, respectively, with which the user first widens the clip aperture (1103 and 1203) by moving the handles in the directions indicated by motion arrows 1105 and 1205 prior to sliding the clip on after sliding a separate plate-style weight onto a bar. A user then tightens the aperture in place on the bar with reversed handle movements (which may be aided by spring resiling, in the instance of a coil clip).
The inventor has discovered that the utility of all current weight clips can be frustrated by the need to locate and administer them. In the inventor's experience, weight clips may be borrowed, broken or worn—often unevenly, in comparison to one another. The inventor has found that, even within a single professional gym, different age, condition and types of clips may be found, and clips may have widely-differing weights, from anywhere from a few ounces to several pounds. The differing weights of varying clip types have made planning workouts and plotting progress more difficult for the inventor. The inventor has experienced still other disadvantages of present clips, including a tendency for lateral slippage due to an absence of significant active lateral force applying aspects.
None of the statements concerning prior art issues and limitations in the background section of this application are admissions that those statements or their subject matter are prior art. Rather, some information provided herein is the result of the inventor's personal experience and research, and is included in the background section to provide foundational information that may be helpful in understanding aspects of the invention set forth in this application. Thus, the “Background” heading refers to foundational information, some of which may or may not be prior art.
This application sets forth a variety of examples of aspects of the present invention, which are illustrative, not exhaustive, of the even wider variety of potential implementations. It should be understood that a virtually unlimited number and degree of alternative embodiments, including alternative systems and methods and parts thereof, even though not specifically set forth, fall within the scope of the invention.
It should also be understood that, for convenience and readability, this application may set forth particular pronouns and other linguistic qualifiers of various specific gender and number, but, where this occurs, all other logically possible gender and number alternatives should also be read in as both conjunctive and alternative statements, as if equally, separately set forth therein.